Shadowgraph machine



Aug. 21, 1934. c c. BIGELOW sHADowGRAPH MACHINE Filed May 1, 1935 2 sheets-shewy 1 C. C. BIGELOW SHADOWGRAPH MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May l, 1933 1.1 m n 5 mm @m o@ m@ m@ o0 1.. NH@ m@ www ....2 mm :l i im s -u a 3W 3| im Patented ug. 2l, 1934 UNITI-:D STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to the production of silhouettes and it has particular relation to a machine designed for producing sensitized silhouettes.

One object of the invention is to provide a shadowgraph machine suitable for receiving a shadow cast thereon and reproducing the shadow in silhouette form by sensitized means arranged in such manner as to insure clear cut outlines of '10 an image or subject.

.Another object of the invention is to provide a shadowgraph machine in which a shadow receiving device, photographic lens and sensitized material holder for the reception of the shadow, 't5 are incorporated in a single construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide an extensible shadowgraph machine which is cornposed of inter-supported relatively adjustable sections supported upon an adjustable platform.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shadowgraph machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the front or receiving end of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-section taken substantially along the line III- III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-section, on a larger scale, taken substantially along the line IV-IV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken substantially along the line V-V of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a rear end elevation looking to the left with reference to Fig. 1 and with portions of the device removed;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic elevation illustrating one application of the invention; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective of a holder for containing sensitized material.

Referring to Fig. l, a platform 10 is supported upon a telescoping standard 1l which includes a stationary standard section 12 having bracing and securing members 15 for anchoring it, and a vertical movable second standard section 16 is telescoped upon the first section. Both of these standard Sections are hollow and a plug or block 17 (Fig. 3) is rigidly mounted in the standard section 12 for receiving a vertical rod 18 screw threaded axially through the block. The upper end of the rod 18 carries a bearing collar 19 that is rigidly secured thereon by means of a pin 20. The platform 10 has its bottom 22 provided with a vertical journal bearing sleeve 23 which is supported rigidly in the platform` and in a .reinforcing disc-like plate 25 surrounding the '55 bearing and rod adjacent the collar19. Suitable thrust bearings 26 are disposed between the collar and plate, and serve to carry the weight of the platform as Well as to facilitate rotation of the rod with respect thereto.

The lower portion of the outer telescoping sec- 60 tion 16 is provided with longitudinal openings or slots 27 which iit over the bracing member l5 in the lower position of the section. A pinion 28 rigidly carried upon the upper end of the rod engages a worm 29 that is rigidly mounted upon 65 a horizontal shaft 30 extending from the front end of the platform where it is provided with a crank 32 manually operable for raising and iowering the platform. The end portion of the shaft is rotatably mounted in a front transverse frame member 33 of the platform and is rotatably supported at its opposite end portion in a bracket 35 rigidly mounted on the platform.

Two additional shafts 36 are arranged parallel to the shaft 30, and one of them is provided with a crank 37, adjacent the crank 32. These shafts extend longitudinally of the platform adjacent the opposite edge portions thereof and are connected at their rear ends by means of bevel gears 38 to a transverse shaft 39. Suitable bearing brackets spaced about the marginal portions of the platform support the shafts 36 and 39 which can be rotated concurrently by turning the crank 37.

Opposite edge portions of the platform are provided with tracks or guideways 52 having central longitudinal grooves 53 therein for receiving correspondingly shaped guides 55 formed on the lower surface of a sliding carriage 56. The tracks 52 are slightly wider than side frames 57 of the platform and their inner marginal portions are off-set inwardly from these frames. A pair of brackets 58 are rigidly secured to the lower surface of the carriage andleach bracket is provided with depending extensions 59 between which a block 60 is mounted for receiving one of the longitudinal shafts 36 in screw-threaded'relation. Thus by rotating the shafts 36 the carriage is moved longitudinally upon the track of the platform. Several rollers 62 mounted upon the outer sides of each bracket are disposed closely adjacent the off-set inner marginal portion of the track 52 and prevent the carriage from being displaced, as well as providing for proper functioning of the carriage, even though a tilting force is applied to it in moving it upon the track.

A second carriage 63 having guides 65 disposed in the guideways 53, but spaced from the first carriage, is provided with a block 66 for receivstantially in axial ing platform 10 and provide a continuous tubular ing each shaft 36 whereby this carriage is movable in the same manner, and concurrently with, the first carriage. However, the pitch of the screw threads on the shafts which engage the blocks 60 is greater' than the pitch of the threads of thc shaft engaging the block 66. These blocks and shafts are so designed that the rotation of the crank 37 at a predetermined rate causes the carriage 63 to be moved substantially twice as rapidly as the carriage 66. At the end of the platform 10 opposite the cranks 32 and 37 an upright frame 67 is mounted and is provided with bracing members 68 secured thereto and to the sides of the platform. This frame is rectangular in shape and supports in framing relation a sheet or screen of opalescent or translucent material 69 such as tracing linen, and is also provided with a bellows 70 having one end secured about the frame and its opposite end secured to a boi; 72 mounted upon the carriage 56.

The bellows is disposed through an upright hoop 75 that rigidly secured to the carriage 63 and is provided with a flexible member 76 secured to the top of the hoop and to an intermediate portion of a thin bar or plate 77. The flexible member extends through the upper wall of the bellows and the plate 77 serves to prevent the bellows from sagging especially when it is extended.

The box 72 is provided with a side door 78 having hinges 79 and adapted to be opened to permit an operator to place his head therethrough for the purpose of a preliminary checking or determining of the proper position of a subject reflected on the screen 69. A photographic lens 80 is centrally mounted in a partition wall 82 which forms one Wall of the box 72 and is provided with a shutter operating device 83 of conventional form for admitting light through the lens. A second bellows 85 has one end mounted upon the box 72 about the edges of the wall 82 and its other end is secured about a slide holding carrage frame 86. Opposite sides of the frame are in the form of vertical channels 88 (Fig. 4). A hood 89 somewhat flaring in construction extends rearwardly from the frame 86 upon which it is suitably secured. It will be observed that the bellows 70. box 72, lens 80, bellows 85, carriage frame 86 and hood 89 are arranged subalignment above the supportconstruction.

A pair of integral flanges 90 extend downwardly on opposite sides and in off-set relation from the bottom of the carriage frame 86 and are provided with inwardly disposed lugs 92 which slide in horizontal guide-ways 93 provided along the opposite upper portions of the carriage 56. A transverse rod 95 having knobs 96 rigidly supported upon its opposite ends is rotatably mounted in the flanges 90, and a pairof pinions 97 are rigidly carried thereby. Each pinion and adjacent knob are mounted on directly opposite sides of one of the flanges 90 and hence the rod is effectively maintained against axial displacement. In order to provide for movement of the carriage frame 86, racks 98 are provided along the upper sides of the guide ways 93 for receiving the pinions 97, and by turning either or both of the knobs the carriage frame is adjustable longitudlnal of the platform.

A ground glass holder 100 having a rectangular plate of ground glass 102 therein is inserted in the channel of the frame and a leaf spring 103 mounted along the sides of the holder tend to move the latter forwardly toward the front por`` tion of the frame thus holding the glass firmly in place in the frame.

A film holding slide 105 is also normally fltted into the channels 88 between the holder 100 and the front channel edge of the frame 86. This slide is grooved, as indicated at 106, to receive an opaque plate 107 and glass plate 108, together with a sensitized sheet 109 which is mounted between the glass plate 1 00 and a backing member 110 having a felted face 112. The backing member 110 is removably held in place by a leaf spring 113 extending across the slide and having its ends anchored in grooves 115.

In operating the machine, a subject from which the silhouette is to be made is posed in front of the framed screen 69 upon which the shadow of the subject is cast from a suitable source of light 116 indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 7. Adjustment or centering of the frame 67 according to the height or size of thesubject, and according to the type of silhouette desired is accomplished by operating the cranks 32 and 37. Preliminary checking of the adjustment is facilitated by observing the subject through the box 76 by opening the door 78. Then the nner adjustment and focusing of the machine is accomplished by manually turning the knobs 96 while observing the image of the subject through the hood 89. Incidental to the preliminary adjustment of the machine in which the bellows 70 is extended, it will be observed that the hoop 75 travels on the frame lapproximately half as rapidly as the carriage 56 and hence the bellows wall is movably supported by the plate 77 to prevent it from sagging. After proper preliminary adjustment and focusing of the machine is accomplished the shadow of the subject is reflected upon the ground glass 102 and observed through the hood 89. Then a sensitized material 112 is inserted with the slide 105 into the frame 86 and the backing plate 107 removed. Then the lens 80 is operated to expose the shadow image of the subject upon sensitized material for producing a silhouette.

Although only one form of the invention has been shown and described in detail it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so .limited but that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A shadowglaph machine comprising a sectional tubular structure including a bellows portion, a transverse Wall in the tubular structure having a photographic lens therein, a shadow receiving area disposed across one end portion of the tubular structure, a ground glass frame supported in the tubular structure adjacent the other end thereof, means for casting a shadow silhouette upon said area, and means for supporting sensitized material in the ground glass frame for exposure thereof in silhouette form of the shadow through the lens.

2. A shadowgraph machine comprising a sectional tubular structure including a bellows construction to provide an extensible device, a transverse wall in the tubular device having a photographic lens therein, opalescent shadow receiving screen mounted transversely across the tubular device, a ground glass carrying frame supported transversely in the tubular device. said screen and ground glass frame being supported on opposite sides of the wall, and means for casting a shadow upon the screen.

3. A shadowgraph machine comprising a sectional tubular device including extensible bellows construction, a transverse wall in the tubular device having photographic lens therein, an opalescent shadow receiving screen mounted transversely in the tubular device, a ground glass supporting frame supported transversely in the tubular device, said screen and frame being disposed on opposite sides of the wall, a removable slide including a glass plate, a shield on one side of the plate and a backing on the other side thereof, and a spring for holding the backing in place.

4. A shadcv/graph machine comprising an extensible tubular structure, a screen mounted in the structure adjacent one end thereof, means for casting a shadow on the screen, a photographic lens mounted in the tubular structure, a holder having photographic sensitized material therein mounted in the tubular structure for exposure oi the screen shadow through the lens, and means for movably supporting portions of the tubular structure.

5. A shadowgraph machine comprising an extensible tubular structure, a screen mounted in the tubular structure adjacent one end thereof, means for casting a shadow on the screen, a photographic lens mounted in the tubular structure, a holder having a photographic sensitized material therein mounted in the tubular structure for exposure of the screen shadow through the lens, and a plurality of supporting means for the extensible tubular structure, said means being movable at different rates for supporting the tubular member while it is being extended.

6. A shadowgraph machine comprising an extensible tubular structure, a screen mounted in the structure adjacent one end thereof, means for casting a shadow on the screen, a photographic lens mounted in the tubular structure, a holder having photographic sensitized material therein mounted in the tubular structure for exposure of the screen shadow through the lens, a plurality of carriages for supporting diierent portions of the extensible structure, means for supporting the carriages, and means for concurrently moving the carriages at different rates.

7. A shadowgraph machine comprising an extensible tubular structure, a screen mounted in the structure adjacent one end thereof, means for casting a shadow on the screen, a photographic lens mounted in the tubular structure, a holder having photographic sensitized material therein mounted in the tubular structure for exposure of the screen shadow through the lens, a plurality of carriages for supporting different portions of the extensible structure, means for supporting the carriages, and means for concurrently moving the carriages at different rates, and an additional carriage mounted upon one of the rst mentioned carriages and adjustably supporting a portion of the tubular structure thereon.

8. A shadowgraph machine comprising an extensible tubular structure, a screen mounted in the structure adjacent one end thereof, means for casting a shadow on the screen, a photographic lens mounted in the tubular structure, a holder having photographic sensitized material therein mounted in the tubular structure for exposure of the screen shadow through the lens, a plurality of carriages for supporting diierent portions of the extensible structure, means for supporting the carriages, a screw threaded rod threaded through a portion of each carriage, the pitch or" the screw threads on the rod engaging one carriage being greater than the pitch of the screw threads engaging the other carriage whereby the carriages are moved at diierent rates when the rod is rotated.

9. A shadowgraph machine comprising an extensible tubular structure, a screen mounted in the structure adjacent one end thereof, means forcasting a shadow on the screen, a photographic lens mounted in the tubular structure, a holder having photosensitive material therein mounted in the tubular structure for exposure of the screen shadow through the lens, a plurality of carriages for supporting diierent portions of the extensible structure, telescopic standard sections having means for supporting the carriages, means for varying the telescoping relation of the standard sections to vary the position of the carriages carried thereby, and means for concurrently moving the carriages at different rates.

CHARLES C. BIGELOW. 

